


Good To See You Again, Professor

by Zombie2315



Category: RWBY
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Existing Relationship, F/M, No underage, Team RNJR - Freeform, Though you could say Oscar has a tiny crush on Reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 10:37:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12579852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zombie2315/pseuds/Zombie2315
Summary: (Y/N) feels conflicted when the man she loves returns to her. She knew he would be alive, somewhere, but the last thing she expected was for him to be back-seating in the mind of a fourteen-year-old Oscar Pine. Nonetheless, she is to be tasked with training him and intends to keep her relationship with Ozpin at arms length until further notice.





	Good To See You Again, Professor

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, definitely not my best work, but after Volume 5 Episode 3 I just really wanted to write SOMETHING Ozpin related because I've loved him for a while. And god damn it I think Oscar is just the cutest treasure.

**Reader’s POV**

 

_“I’m happy to welcome you to Beacon Academy, Miss (L/N),” the white-haired man nodded. As of today, I was officially a teacher at the prestigious school for huntsman and huntresses, ready to teach students how to fight and understand their enemy._

_“I can’t wait to get started, Professor.”_

_“Please, call me Ozpin.” I waited for him to raise his hand and dismiss me, but instead, he just sat back and crossed his legs. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how old are you, Miss (L/N)?”_

_My breath hitched at his question._ Does he know? _“Please, just (Y/N) is fine. And I’m twenty-five.”_

_His calculating gaze was glued to my face, never wandering for even a second. “I’m afraid I don’t believe you, (Y/N). My guess would be… Seventy-five? Perhaps eighty?” I imagine that most women would be offended at such an accusation, no one wants to be told that they look older than they are. Well, perhaps teenagers that can’t wait to grow up. But a regular young adult would be appalled to have someone believe them to be as old as eighty._

_“What makes you think that?” I wouldn’t admit to anything until I knew that he was trustworthy and sure of himself._

_“I’ve never seen an Ancient before. Read about them, yes, but seeing one in person… Well, this is a first.” My façade fell at the name. There was no way around fooling him now, he knew exactly what he was talking about._ Of course he does, he’s the headmaster of Beacon Academy for a reason _._

_Taking a deep breath, I spoke, “I didn’t think anyone knew about Ancients anymore. And to be truthful, I’m seventy-six.” He simply nodded, letting silent hang in the air for a while longer. I wasn’t sure whether to feel scared, or… Actually, that’s it. I felt scared. “I sense that you’re feeling rather uneasy. Please, I do not wish to cause you any harm, nor do I intend to tell anyone of this against your will.”_

 

 

I remembered that day like it was yesterday. My first official day as Professor (Y/N) (L/N) at Beacon Academy, the school that trained huntsman and huntresses to defend Remnant against the Grimm. He was true to his word, he never told anyone, not a soul. I put my life in his hands that day, whether he knew it or not.

 

 

_“I was born in Vale during the Great War. My father was an Antient who served under the King and died shortly before my birth, leaving my mother to raise me on her own. We were lucky, however, that our village wasn’t a large target for Mistral, Mantle or Grimm. As you may already know from your research, I age slower than humans do after adolescence, and despite the fact that I couldn’t stay home for much longer -lest everyone finds out what I really am- I stayed for three years to take care of my mother. She developed an unrecognisable illness when I was sixteen and died after I turned twenty-one. So, three years after the Great War had ended, I left Vale. This is the first time in fifty-seven years that I’ve been back.”_

 

 

Teaching at Beacon was like a dream come true, seeing students succeed and watching as they develop new skills under your training, it’s more rewarding than I could describe. And working under the watchful eye of Professor Ozpin was a comfort. He was knowledgeable, wise and talented, fought like no huntsman I had ever seen before. Thinking of these traits always brought me back to the day I realised I loved him.

 

 

_“You’re a very exceptional huntress, (Y/N). Beacon is lucky to have you.”_

_I turned to the voice, lowering my weapon and brushing the hair from my face. I used one of my days off to brush up on a few fighting techniques in hopes that I would eventually be able to teach them to my classes with a perfect demonstration. But my practice would have to be put on hold, for it would be impossible to focus with the smooth-talking headmaster nearby._

_“Ozpin, what a surprise.”_

_“The nice kind, I hope.” We shared a laugh, Ozpin tilting his head down and leaning on his signature cane. I tried not to blush when I realized how handsome he looked like this. When the laughter died down, he looked at me with a soft gaze, “How are you enjoying Beacon so far? I know the students are very fond of you.”_

_I smiled at the praise, “Well, I’m certainly fond of them. And the rest of the staff is absolutely brilliant.”_

_He looked into the forest with a small smile on his face. The wind blew gently through the open area surrounded by trees and I felt comfortable despite the lack of conversation, merely basking in the Professor’s presence. “I’m glad I met you, (Y/N). I know that may sound quite out of character, coming from me all of a sudden. But I feel that we’ve become quite close during your time here.” He was looking down at me now, a flash in his eyes that showed hesitance. “I wish to share my own secret with you, something I tell only those I truly trust. So, I ask that you keep it to yourself, if that is alright with you.”_

 

 

A man that couldn’t completely die, perhaps in body, but not in mind or soul. He would inhabit a person that resembled his own mind and merge with their soul, becoming one man that was a collection of countless minds throughout the years. It sounded like a gift, but in various ways, it was a curse. In the literal sense, and as someone who knew what it was like to live longer than the average person, an almost never-ending lifespan was exhausting.

 

But those kinds of thoughts rarely occurred anymore, ever since the evening he first kissed me – Cupping the side of my neck and leaning down, pressing his lips against mine as if he’d done it a thousand times already. And when I tilted my head to deepen the heated moment, it only encouraged him further. I may live for another nine-hundred years, but I doubt that any moment in that time could beat that first night.

 

“Hey, Professor (L/N)? You okay there?” I shook myself out of my thoughts and turned to the raven-haired girl. Ruby Rose, a usually chipper girl and one of my best students in the field. However, her silver eyes now looked tired and filled with worry.

 

“Don’t worry, Ruby. I’m just tired from all the walking I’ve been doing. And remember, I’m not your teacher anymore. (Y/N) will do fine.” I bumped into Ruby, Nora, Jaune, Ren and Qrow back in Kuroyuri, right after they finished off the Nuckelavee. I was beyond shocked to even hear about its presence, never mind knowing that my own ex-students had been the ones to kill it. After the initial shock, I praised them all, but was quickly distracted by the airships that arrive to assist the group with a wounded Qrow. Ruby was quick to invite me along, and after being told that they were going to Mistral and having nowhere else to go, I just couldn’t refuse.

 

 

Arriving in Haven brought me nothing but relief, finally having a place to rest and real food to eat, it was a place where I could let my guard down, even if it was just for five minutes. Qrow would rest and heal for a while, the kids letting me know that once he was up and walking, we’d be off to see Leonardo Lionheart for answers.

 

When that time came, I’d managed to think myself into a state. He was in my mind again and all I could think about was how much I missed him, how much I wished he was here with me. I told the gang that I wasn’t feeling very well and didn’t want to hold them back, so I stayed at the house and preoccupied my hands and mind by cleaning every space I could see. And within less than two hours, everyone besides Qrow had returned.

 

“Uncle Qrow said he needed to go out for a drink,” Ruby chuckled, nervously scratching the back of her head.

 

I smiled at her awkwardness, “That sounds like Qrow. I’m sure he won’t be long. Why don’t you guys catch me up on what happened with Lionheart while I start on dinner?” I supressed a smile as Nora’s eyes lit up, excited for what delicious meal might be served.

 

 

So, the Spring Maiden was residing with the Branwen tribe, bandits led by none-other than Raven Branwen herself. From what the children said, Qrow isn’t happy that Lionheart refuses to head out straight away after them, and I couldn’t blame him. We didn’t really have the time to sit around and wait.

 

“Thanks, (Y/N),” Jaune smiled as I took his plate. It was dark out now and we’d all finished eating. I refused to let the kids help with washing up, telling them all to go relax and let me know when Qrow was home. I likely wouldn’t be able to have a sober conversation with him tonight, though.

 

A knock at the door caught my attention. _Who would be knocking at this time? Surely not Qrow…_ I peeked around the door frame, nodding to Jaune as he reached for the door knob. Nora, Ren and I stood on high alert as the door creaked open, revealing a short boy with tanned skin. If I had to guess, I’d say he was around fourteen years old. I stayed in the kitchen, just out of sight, as he nervously looked to the three teenagers inside the living room.

 

“Can I… help you?”

 

“Um,” he stuttered, “Yeah… Is there a Ruby Rose here?”

 

Immediately, Ren and Nora were on their feet, a serious air emitting from the usually excitable redhead. “Why?”

 

Just as he was about to answer, an unusually happy Qrow wrapped an arm around the boy. “I found him!” He slipped into a fit of drunken giggles, stumbling into the house.

 

“I think her uncle could use some help.” I sighed, leaning against the kitchen wall and rolling my eyes. _Damn it Qrow, you had a kid drag you home?_

 

Said uncle was still stumbling, making his way towards the sofa and panting like he’d run a mile. “I found him…” _Why does he keep saying that? Found who…?_

 

“What is going on out there!? Can’t a girl read her comics in peace!?” Ruby marched out from the right hallway, arms spread open in question. Her questions were answered, however, after one glance at her uncle. She ran a hand over her eyes, “Qrow, did you get drunk again?”

 

Raising an arm, he slurred, “Maybe…”

 

The almost forgotten boy in the doorway gasped quietly, “You… have silver eyes…” I lifted my head away from the wall, crossing my arms over my chest and paying attention to the conversation now at hand. Ruby looked to her friends, who only shrugged, then to me, still in the kitchen, but visible from where she stood. I could only blink and wait for her to speak.

 

“Who… are you?”

 

Qrow, still in his drunken and happy state, laughed airily as the boy moved from one foot to the other. “Uh… Well, my name is Oscar Pine.”

 

“Wait for it…” _Oscar Pine? I’ve never heard of an Oscar Pine, so why is Qrow so hooked on this?_

 

“But you probably know me as… Professor Ozpin.”

 

Like the four teens in the room behind me, I released a surprised breath. _Ozpin is here…_ I expected him to find a new body, but I didn’t expect to find him so soon. Qrow ignored everyone’s surprise, opting to congratulate himself further.

 

“I did it!” he laughed, before falling flat on his face against the wooden floor.

 

I shook my head before emerging from behind the wall, bracing myself against the frame and locking eyes with the younger boy. His face changed from surprise to questioning. I understood the first, I’d been hiding for the past five minutes and came seemingly out of nowhere, but why the calculating gaze? Did he recognise me?

 

I dragged my eyes away from Oscar to the man on the floor. Sighing, I make my way over to him. “I’ll try and sober him up, then maybe we can talk. Why don’t you take a seat, make yourself at home,” I smiled at the boy, missing the faint blush that coated his freckled cheeks as I dragged a passed out Qrow off to his room.

 

 

After a cup of coffee and a light nap, he was back on his feet as if he hadn’t just passed out on the floor. I laughed at the likelihood of him having a hangover, knowing that he’d be a pro at hiding it by now and followed him back to the living room where the children were swarming the poor fourteen-year-old.

 

“Did he age backwards?”

 

“He’s possessed!”

 

“Or reincarnated.”

 

“Oh! Isn’t it weird!”

 

The girls looked awed by the younger boy, Ruby acting as if she was looking at a small kitten. Meanwhile, the boys watched him with curiosity, none of them noticing the awkwardness in his eyes. “…It is very weird, yes.”

 

“Okay, okay. Let’s all just take a second and remember that this is very overwhelming for everyone.” You could almost see the lightbulbs slowly turning on in each of their minds as they looked from Qrow to Oscar. Within seconds, the four were a few feet away and laughing nervously. Oscar looked to the older man, smiling and mumbling a genuine ‘Thanks’.

 

I chuckled, “Come on, everyone get comfortable. I’m sure we’d all like to know more about what’s going on.”

 

After everyone situated themselves, Ruby and Nora on one sofa, Qrow and I on the other, and the boys standing across from Oscar’s chair, we were ready to listen. “Sorry,” he mumbled, “It’s just that I’ve never really met huntsman and huntresses before.”

 

 _Oh god, he’s adorable_. “Well, uh, we’ve never met a person with two souls. So, first times all around.” Ruby’s words seemed to relax him a little.

 

“Not to break up the whole ‘getting to know you’ game,” Qrow coughed, “But we need to have a talk. Mind showing us your little parlour trick, kid?”

 

Oscar sighed, agreeing to Qrow’s request. _What exactly does he mean by that?_ “Just so you know, I’ll still be here.” _Well, that’s not cryptic at all…_ He breathed in and out for a moment before his upper body leaned back. In the moment after he opened his eyes, I felt myself at a loss for words.

 

But that was nothing compared to his voice now. “It’s so very good to see you again, students.” That smile, that posture and the way his arms laid on the armrest, it screamed Ozpin. I wasn’t the only one who was shocked.

 

“Wait… What just happened?” Jaune spoke first.

 

“Professor… Ozpin?” Ren added.

 

“Correct. And though I may be the one speaking, Oscar is still present, mentally. He’s merely handed over the controls, so to speak.” The man I loved was speaking to us through a fourteen-year-old boy. This might be the strangest moment of my life… “I’m afraid this all must be very perplexing.”

 

Nora leaned towards him, “And alarming. And bizarre and just really kinda hard to believe overall.”

 

“It’s good to see you children still have your sense of humor,” he laughed. God, even when it didn’t sound entirely the same, that was his laugh. A laugh I adore and missed so much. “I know you’ve all been through tremendous hardship already… I’m sorry.”

 

No one seemed to know what to say, so Ruby stepped in. “I mean, it’s not your fault.”

 

“It’s all my fault… I’ve told you once before that I’ve made more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this planet, and I wasn’t exaggerating… I’m cursed.” While he spoke, Qrow stood from the sofa and left for the kitchen to clean his mug. I’d turned my head away from the boy to my right, finding it hard to look at him as Ozpin spoke, but it didn’t matter; I’d already heard this story before. During his explanation of reincarnation, Qrow returned with a new mug and passed it to the… young Professor. He could see the confliction I was feeling as he sat down, placing a firm hand on my shoulder and offering a light squeeze of reassurance.

 

“This is perfect!” Nora squealed. “We were stuck at a dead end, but now we can just take little cute boy Ozpin to Lionheart and have him set things straight!”

 

I couldn’t help but grin at the silly nickname. “Please, don’t call me that,” said male requested.

 

“We’re not sure that’s the best idea,” Qrow shrugged, much to the displeasure of the pink loving female, resulting in a displeased groan as she sulked on the couch.

 

“But I thought the headmasters all took their orders from you.” Ren had a point, but after hearing about Lionheart’s odd behaviour today, that was apparently no longer the case.

 

Ozpin thought so too, “That was the intention. Four lieutenants I can trust, especially during times of reincarnation. But Qrow told me about your meeting with Leonardo, he isn’t just behaving irrationally, he’s disobeying specific instructions I left him. Something’s wrong. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I don’t want to rule out any possibilities either.” During his speech, he paced across the room until his back was facing me and Qrow. “No one outside of this room knows that I have paired with Oscar. And I think it might be best to keep it that way.”

 

“Play things close to the chest until we get a better hand,” Qrow spoke, leaning forward and offering me his silver flask. I cocked a brow at him for a moment and he only held the flask closer, obviously seeing my unease that refused to dissipate.

 

Glancing towards Oscar, or Ozpin, I silently took the flask and drank less than a mouthful before handing it back. Now wasn’t the time for a heavy drink.

 

“Precisely,” Ozpin responded. “Now, we have two steps ahead of us. The first is enlisting the aid of more huntsman.”

 

The teens looked hesitant. “But the Mistral council-“

 

“Doesn’t own every huntsman in the kingdom, and I’ve been here enough times to know where we can find some more.” Qrow cut off the black-haired boy.

 

Ozpin hummed, “So long as they’re trustworthy.”

 

“You can trust them to put up a good fight. I’ll throw together a list tonight,” he grumbled, leaning back and crossing his hands behind his head as he placed one foot on the table. I wasn’t very surprised when one of the legs broke.

 

Apparently, Nora wasn’t entirely fazed either, “Good luck with that.”

 

As Qrow groaned and began picking up the shattered mug from the floor, Ozpin made his way towards the middle of everyone. “After that, we can move onto step two.”

 

“What’s step two?”

 

The shorter male picked up his cane, observing it before swinging around to face the four members of RNJR. “Getting you four into fighting shape.”

 

“But…” Ruby started, looking to the equally confused three beside her, “We already know how to fight.”

 

She didn’t quite expect the end of his cane to come swinging down, only inches from her face. “You can only fight so long as you have Crescent Rose, but you’re still lacking in hand-to-hand combat.” She made a sound of awkwardness before agreeing. “Mr. Arc! I’m glad to hear you’ve improved, but I’m sorry to say you’ve yet to unlock your semblance. All of you still have a ways to go before you’re ready to pose any real threat against Salem and her forces. And though Oscar can give me temporary control, he’ll need to strengthen his body and his aura. He’ll inherit my muscle memory, in time, but practice will expedite the process. Perhaps once he beats (Y/N), since she has proved to be a worthy opponent before.”

 

That was the first time he’d mentioned me since he got here and I can’t say I was unhappy about it. While I’d been avoiding looking at him, he had in turn not looked my way either. A part of me worried that he was trying to ignore me. _Come on, (Y/N), he’s more mature than that! Even if he’s technically fourteen now._

 

“But if Qrow’s out looking for huntsman, then who’s going to teach us? I don’t doubt (Y/N), but can she really teach all of us on her own?” Ruby was always asking the right questions at times like this. I myself wondered the same, but had a small feeling that I already knew the answer.

 

Finally giving him my undivided attention, I watched the short headmaster jump into the air, performing a few spins and a flip before landing expertly on the chair behind him. “Well, I believe was the headmaster of Beacon Academy. We have approximately one month before classes resume at Haven. If Salem were to plan an attack, it would make sense that it occur prior to students return. It’s not much time, but it’s better than nothing.” He smirked at the range of faces before him. Ruby and Ren looking shocked and excited, Nora looking unimpressed and Jaune just a little confused. “Just don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

 

His posture shifted, now starting to wobble on the chair before falling backwards and taking the seat with him. “You’ve gotta be kidding me…” _Well, Oscar’s back_.

 

 

I sat in my room later on, leaning back in the wooden chair and tapping my fingertips against the desk. I was happy to have Ozpin back, ecstatic even, but it was just a little strange. I can’t exactly tell a fourteen-year-old ‘I love you’, he’d likely be terrified, and how would he feel when he finds out that the woman who’ll be teaching him how to fight is the girlfriend of the voice in his head. If I were him, I’d call me crazy.

 

A soft knock at my door dragged me from my train of thought. Not quite knowing who to expect, I called out to the person, giving them permission to enter. “Oh, hi Oscar,” I greeted the nervous looking boy. I could tell immediately that it was him and not Ozpin, just the anxious look on his face spoke volumes.

 

“Hi, (Y/N)…” He fumbled with the door for a second, apparently not knowing whether to close it or not, but after a seconds pause he decided to do the former. “Sorry if I’m being a bother. I wasn’t sure if you’d still be up or not, but…”

 

“Did he tell you to come talk to me?” All it took was a nod of his head for me to continue. “I’m sorry for all of this, I imagine it’s a little much.”

 

“No- Well, yes, it is. But right now, I guess I just have more questions than worries…” He scratched the back of his neck before looking up at me, “Ozpin already told me that you two have a… A history, but he said that if I wanted to know more about you then I should ask.”

 

I took a deep breath, nodding. I knew just where to start. “Have you ever heard of Ancients?” His lack of reaction told me ‘no’. “Well, Ancients are a species that look exactly like humans, but can live for up to a thousand years. You might be able to understand why that caused Ozpin and I to become as close as we are. Living for as long as we have to, life can be pretty lonely.”

 

“And… how old are you now? If you don’t mind me asking!”

 

I chuckled at his embarrassed blush, “I’m eighty. Almost eighty-one. Oscar, I don’t want you to feel pressured by any of this, okay? Obviously, with Ozpin being mostly stuck up there,” I pointed to his forehead, “I’m not going to be treating our relationship quite the same as I did before.”

 

He blinked for a second and I figured he was processing everything I’d told him, perhaps still wrapping his head around the ‘Ancients’ part. After a moment, he finally responded. “Yeah… I understand. I know it’s probably as weird for you as it is for me…” His eyes darted off to the side, as if he heard something, and I didn’t have to wonder for long. “He wants to talk to you himself.” I turned my body to face him properly, watching as he breathed in and out, just like before.

 

That classic Ozpin smile returned, “Hello, dear.”

 

“I missed you.” My voice was only a whisper, not knowing what else to say and feeling as if speaking any louder might cause him to disappear.

 

“I missed you too. I know that these aren’t exactly the circumstances you expected upon my return, but I am thrilled to see you here and alive.” It wasn’t as easy to avoid eye contact with him this time, and now that he was talking directly to me, I almost didn’t want to. “Oscar seems quite fond of you, already.”

 

The teasing look in his eyes made me laugh lightly, “Come now, Oz. Don’t embarrass the poor boy. Keep saying things like that and he’ll never be able to look me in the eye!” I gave in to my heart and looked at him head on, wide grin on my face and an uncontainable laughter bubbling from my lips. “But yeah, I’m glad to have you back, even if you’re technically a fourteen-year-old boy now. God, even I’m taller than you now!”

 

He laughed with me, “Yes, yes. It does make this situation of ours rather strange. But please know that I don’t intend to stop loving you any time soon, (Y/N). Obviously, nothing can happen between us for quite some time, but I have no doubt that you’ll befriend Oscar and train him well.”

 

“Well, I’m glad that you said that. I don’t think I could ever stop loving you, but right now it’s just not something we can act on.”

 

Nodding, he placed his hands behind his back. “Then may I ask that you wait for me?”

 

I smiled softly, resting my head against the hand propped against the desk. “Of course I will. I imagine it’ll be like no time at all, considering my lifespan. Now, why don’t you give the wheel back to Oscar and let him get off to bed, he’s got a long day ahead of him if he’s got to train with me.”

 

The brown eyes I watched with a soft expression suddenly blinked rapidly, their owner balancing himself before his composure was that of a young boy. Oscar was back in control of his body now and seemed to be avoiding my eyes, likely still embarrassed over Ozpin’s earlier comment. “Uh… Hey… again. I should- I need to head to bed now,” he stumbled, voice wavering as he turned to hide his rosy cheeks.

 

“Goodnight, Oscar. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

 

_“I love you.”_

_“Hm,” I hummed, too comfortable in his arms to respond properly._

_He only laughed at this, tightening his hold and pulling me back into his chest. We were in his office, standing in front of the large window that overlooked the academy and he was hugging me from behind. It was supposed to be my evaluation day, for Ozpin to decide whether or not I was still a suitable teacher. Only a few questions were asked before any formalities dropped and a relaxed air filled the room, him taking my hand and leading me towards the window, whispering about how talented I was as his arms wrapped around my middle._

_“You’re a real charmer, you know that?” I tilted my head back to see him better, being met with those warm brown eyes that I could stare into for hours. “You’re too good to me.”_

_He kissed my temple, “Of course not. You deserve everything and more, my dear.”_

_I think I could get used to a few hundred years of this. And even when he changed forms, finding a new soul to merge with, I would find him and never let him go. I loved Ozpin with my entire being. Nothing could change that._


End file.
